Looking for a game of NTN Trivia or Texas hold 'em? Then Kiwi's is your place. Even though the bar pushes its Australian roots, the only thing Aussie about this Altamonte Springs sports bar is the flag in its moniker. Otherwise, this is a full-liquor fun house of sorts that rivals the now deceased Rocky's Replay in terms of adult fun.
Décor: Again, this is a sports bar. The big room has high-top tables and chairs scattered amongst pool and poker tables. The bar is located in the back of the vast space that is lined by TVs where you can catch the football or basketball game depending on the season. Yeah, there is NASCAR too, but I tend to ignore those screens. In fact there are over 30 televisions in the space that include four projectors, two big screens and a bunch of plasmas. If watching sports or playing poker or pool isn't your thing, try out the NTN Trivia or foosball table for a bit. My favorite when I'm not playing NTN is Silver Strike Bowling.
The Bar: This is full liquor kids, so drink up Johnny! And smoke up too, because the bar sales, ahem, outweigh the food sales which allows Kiwi's to remain a smoking bar. Prices are pretty cheap with pitchers of domestic drafts running $7 plus tax (and that includes Yuengling) and mixed drinks in the $3.50-$4.50 range. Domestic drafts are $2.50 (again plus tax) which is right up my wallet's alley. In keeping with the grill part of the title, appetizers, sandwiches and salads are offered. The cheese fries tasted a bit like plastic that was melted and then cooled but the chicken wings were tasty — full of meat and perfectly sauced. Food prices range between $3-$7
Service: With all the tables and limited waitresses on the floor, it's usually best to head to the bar yourself if you want a drink fast. If you're willing to wait or are interested in ordering some food, hang at the table and be a patient patron. They do come around eventually. Once they arrive you'll usually see nothing but smiles — all servers, behind the bar and at the table, are extremely friendly.
Sounds: If you're not hearing the buzz of a car whizzing down a race track or an announcer questioning a call in a game on one of the TVs, you'll most likely hear Bon Jovi or Kid Rock from the touchscreen juke box. Rap and country are thrown in the mainstream rock mix occasionally.
Crowd: Like most suburban bar crowds, it's well mixed in age and background. The night I stopped by I noticed the bar was more well mixed than others in the area, with an equal number of whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics. Age ranges between bar virgins at 21 playing pool to a middle-aged veteran sitting at the bar, throwing down a shot and offering to buy you one.
What other people are saying...
kellabel5471 from Downtown Orlando - September 23, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I apologize. It's still more a sports bar than anything else.
Report This Commentsexy007chick from Winter Park - August 29, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Kiwi's is not a Aussie bar, its a New Zealand bar. You folks might wanna do some research next time.
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